Hand sanitizers, emergency food kits, and face masks have been selling out quickly as the coronavirus’ rapid spread continues to ravage the globe.  But there is one way to beat the empty shelves, and that’s to make your own hand sanitizer.

The great thing about making your own is that you control the ingredients and the alcohol content.  But if you don’t want to make your own, you can still find hand sanitzer online, and in bulk. It seems to be some stores that are experiencing shortages.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own hand sanitizer:

• 2/3 cup Isopropyl alcohol 91% (rubbing alcohol) – this is great to stock up on and buy in bulk
• 1/3 cup aloe vera gel – great to stock up on for burns or rashes
• Essential oil in your choice of fragrance (optional)
• A small or medium mixing bowl
• A spoon
• An empty container, such as a 3-ounce container from a travel toiletries kit
• A small piece of masking tape for labeling

INSTRUCTIONS:

*The CDC recommends using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content in order to make it effective at killing most viruses and bacteria. This recipe will make a sanitizer that slightly exceeds that alcohol content at 60.66%, so follow the proportions exactly. If you want a sanitizer with a higher alcohol percentage, decrease the amount of aloe vera to 1/4 cup.

In a mixing bowl, stir Isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel together until well blended. Add 8-10 drops of scented essential oil (optional). Stir to incorporate. Pour the homemade hand sanitizer into an empty container and seal. Write “hand sanitizer” on a piece of masking tape and affix it to the bottle.

That’s it! It’s that easy! Consider doubling or even tripling this recipe if you enjoy the outcome, or play around with the quantities yourself. Maybe a concentration of less than 60% alcohol is right for you, especially if you have dry skin and aren’t in an area where the virus is widespread.

This is still not a substitute for a good hand washing routine either.  Remember to keep your hands clean and make sure you wash before you touch your eyes, face, nose, or mouth.  This is an effective measure against the coronavirus.

Stay healthy!